Philippines Boasts of Its Chocolate Hills

One of the many tourist attractions that the Philippines boasts of is Chocolate Hills. Located in Bohol, the Chocolate Hills feature unique geological formation that contains almost two thousand hills. The hills are named as such because their color transforms into brown when the season is dry. Otherwise, these chocolate hills are in green color because they are covered with grass.

As mentioned earlier, the entire Philippines boasts of the Chocolate Hills. This only means that Bohol itself is very proud of this hot spot. As a matter of fact, the Chocolate Hills symbolize the profusion of natural attractions that’s why they are featured in the seal and the flag of Bohol. The hills are spectacularly made of limestone and are all covered with grass. The sizes of the dome range between thirty and fifty meters in height, or between 98 and 160 feet. But the largest dome reaches the height of 120 meters or 390 feet. Since the Chocolate Hills are almost 2,000 in numbers, approximately 1,776 domes, they cover not only one town but three towns of Bohol, namely, Sagbayan, Batuan, and Carmen. However, most of the domes have the nearest proximity to Carmen.

The grass covering Chocolate Hills is known to be hardy grass species, such as Saccharum spontaneum and Imperata cylindrica. There are also other species growing on them like ferns and Compositae. The flat lands seen between the domes are used to cultivate cash crops and rice.

In the town of Carmen, there is a resort that is government-operated and –owned. It is popularly known as the Chocolate Hills Complex. This resort features an observation deck, a hostel with a swimming pool, and a restaurant. At the deck, tourists are given the opportunity to see a clear view of the Chocolate Hills and even have the opportunity to count the hills.

In the town of Sagbayan in Bohol, there is also a resort where tourists may enjoy an ideal view of the Chocolate Hills. The resort is called the Sagbayan Peak, which features an elevated ridge where tourists do not only get a view of the domes but also the sea that takes tourists to Cebu City.

The Philippine Government wanted the scenic value, uniqueness, scientific importance, and special characteristics of Bohol to be recognized that was why on June 18, 1988, the Chocolate Hills was given the National Geological Monument recognition by the National Committee on Geological Sciences. While the Chocolate Hills face several issues including title ownership, and disposable and alienable lands, the government of the Philippines and locals are still expected to take care of these unique hills.

Chocolate Hills of Bohol in the Philippines are composed of uniquely shaped hills that have been a tourist attraction for so many years now. These hills may be viewed not only in one town of Bohol but in three towns. There are resorts where tourists may stay to get a clearer view of the Chocolate Hills.